According to the National Center on Elder Abuse (NCEA), between 1 and 2 million Americans age 65 or older have been injured, exploited, or otherwise mistreated by someone on whom they depended for care or protection. “Abuse” is defined as any knowing, intentional, or negligent act by a caregiver (or anyone else) that causes harm or […]
Signs of Nursing Home Abuse or Neglect Read More »
I am constantly amazed and disturbed by the level of abuse and neglect happening in nursing homes across the country. I talk to people everyday who say they can’t believe that any care facility could actually put residents at risk of harm or death. To give credence to my pessimism, here are some very frightening
Nursing Home Tragedies Read More »
The Department of Health and Human Services released a report titled “Questionable Billing by Skilled Nursing Facilities.” The title says it all… but we’re still going to comment. In recent years, government analyses have discovered improprieties in the amount of Medicare dollars billed by–and paid to–to skilled nursing facilities (a general term that includes nursing
Report Questions Nursing Home Charges Read More »
This week, there were two very disturbing reports about security at North Carolina long-term care facilities. Oddly, they came from both sides of the door. ON THE INSIDE… At Louisburg Manor (Louisburg, NC), two women entered the nursing home and took jewelry from a 90-year-old resident. According to a report on WRAL.com, the intruders told
Security a Concern in NC Nursing Homes Read More »
Palliative care is treatment intended not to heal, but to relieve symptoms so that the patient feels better. Despite the fact that it is an important part of treatment, especially for people with incurable disorders, palliative care is not well understood by most people, including those who need it. For people with a terminal illness,
Role for Palliative Care in Dementia Read More »
The ravages of old age are well known: Bones become fragile, eyesight becomes cloudy, and hearing becomes muffled. Except…what if it didn’t have to be? It has long been known that calcium, vitamin D, and exercise can help keep bones strong. And now, new research suggests that at least some age-related hearing lost (ARHL) could
Could Eating Right Prevent Age-Related Hearing Loss? Read More »
How’s this for unconventional: The Ecumen chain of 15 Minnesota nursing homes has launched Project Awakenings, which calls for treating residents’ behavioral problems without resorting to antipsychotic drugs. The problems are real. Residents have physical and mental disorders, and they are often in pain, frightened, alone, and confused. In the worst cases, they react with
Minnesota Nursing Homes Seek to End the Stupor Read More »
I don’t know what it is about December…maybe it’s the joyous holiday season, maybe it’s just an end-of-the-year need to balance the scales, but here is another feel-good story. This one is from StarTribune.com of Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota. In what is believed to be the first nursing-home vacation of its kind, 20 residents of Camden Care
Cruise Was Big Hit With Nursing Home Residents Read More »
Yesterday, we wrote a feel-good story about a young man who had suffered traumatic brain injury and had recovered enough to now be a rehab counselor for other brain-injured youth. (To read the story, click here: Recovering From Brain Injury to Help Others) Today’s story is about an Alabama nursing home that helps residents celebrate
'Tis the Season to "Adopt" a Nursing Home Resident Read More »
If you’re old enough to remember Eurhythmics as the British New Wave duo of Annie Lennox and David A. Stewart (signature song: “Sweet Dreams [Are Made of This]”), then this is an article you may find particularly useful. For your parents, anyway. A new scientific study found that senior citizens could reduce their risk of
Eurhythmics Cuts Risk of Falls By More Than Half Read More »